The present invention relates generally to a pivotal mounting structure for an electronic device, an electronic device that can be mounted in a rack using the pivotal mounting structure or placed on a table-top, and a method of mounting an electronic device on a rack.
For some time, when several electronic devices are used mutually interconnected or simultaneously, it is common to mount the electronic devices in a rack, which saves space and improves work efficiency. In addition, since a majority of the complicated wiring between the electronic devices is behind the rack and not visible from the front, the aesthetic appearance and the safety of the work environment is improved.
Many electronic devices such as audio and video equipments are used for long periods of time in a specified location without moving, hence they are often mounted in a rack. They are usually set-up to make operation by the user easier, with the operating panel containing the operators and the display positioned on the front surface of the main body of the electronic device (“main body”), and the input and output terminals positioned on the back surface of the main body.
Among the electronic devices, there are those that may be used while installed in a rack (“rack mounted”) or placed on a table-top (“stand-alone”). This kind of electronic device includes sound source modules and the like.
Sound source modules are electronic devices that are used for operations such as sound production for recording. The sound source module takes in from a keyboard or a sequencer an input signal, which indicates the pitch, timbre, volume, or other aspects of a musical tone, and forms and outputs a musical tone that corresponds to the input signal. An equalizer that changes the frequency of the musical tone or an effector that applies effects may also be installed. Incidentally, various operators for adjusting the volume and timbre of the musical tone are attached to the operating panel positioned on the front surface of the main body. The operating panel may also comprise a liquid crystal display that displays each of the parameters that have been set.
A mixer, which is also an example of an electronic device that can be used rack mounted or stand-alone, is disclosed in the Patent References.